MiR-20b-5p involves in vascular aging induced by hyperhomocysteinemia.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is an independent risk factor of atherosclerosis (AS). Some reports have shown that homocysteine (Hcy) could accelerate the development of AS by promoting endothelial cell senescence. miRNAs were widely involved in the pathophysiology of HHcy. However, few studies have focused on the changes of miRNA-mRNA networks in the artery of HHcy patients. For this reason, RNA-sequencing was adopted to investigate the expression of miRNA and mRNA in HHcy model mouse arteries. We found that the expression of 216 mRNAs and 48 miRNAs were significantly changed. Using TargetScan and miRDB web tools, 29 miRNA-mRNA pairs were predicted. Notably, miR-20b-5p and FJX1 shared the highest predicted score in TargetScan, and further study indicated that the miR-20b-5p inhibitor significantly upregulated the FJX1 expression in HHcy human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) model. PPI analysis revealed an important sub-network which was centered on CDK1. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that HHcy had a significant effect on cell cycle. Further experiments found that Hcy management increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the activity of senescence associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) and the protein expression of p16 and p21 in HUVECs, which were rescued by miR-20b-5p inhibitor. In general, our research indicated the important role of miR-20b-5p in HHcy-related endothelial cell senescence.

Protective Effect of Nicorandil on Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury After Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of nicorandil on contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective control study. A total of 156 patients with STEMI were divided into the nicorandil group (n = 55) and the control group (n = 101). The incidence of CIAKI, defined as an increase of >25% or absolute values > 44.2 µmol/L in serum creatinine (Scr) from baseline within 72 h of exposure to a contrast agent after exclusion of other causes, was the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoints were: (1) changes of Scr, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), uric acid, and ß2-microglobulin at 24/48/72 h and 5 to 7 days after PCI; (2) the peak value difference of creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB) after PCI; (3) adverse events within 6 months after PCI. Results: The overall incidence of CIAKI was 21.8%; the incidence of CIAKI in the nicorandil group was significantly lower (12.7% [7/55]) than in the control group (26.7% [27/101]) (P = .043). Compared with the control group, Scr, uric acid, and ß2-microglobulin levels were lower, and the level of eGFR was higher in nicorandil group (P all < .05). The peak value of CK-MB in the nicorandil group was lower than that in the control group (105.30 [56.61, 232.04] vs 178.00 [77.08, 271.91]U/L, P = .042). There was no significant difference in adverse events between the 2 groups within 6 months after PCI. Moreover, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension and diabetes were independent risk factors for CIAKI, while nicorandil treatment was a protective factor. Conclusion: Our data suggest that intravenous nicorandil after emergency PCI has a protective effect on the occurrence of CIAKI in STEMI patients.

Lichen striatus versus linear lichen planus: a comparison of clinicopathological features, immunoprofile of infiltrated cells, and epidermal proliferation and differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Lichen striatus (LS) and linear lichen planus (LLP) are separate uncommon disorders belonging to linear inflammatory dermatoses. The immunotyping of inflammatory cells has been investigated in LS and lichen planus (LP), but epidermal proliferation and differentiation have little been described in LS and LLP. METHODS: The clinical and pathological data of eight patients with LS and seven with LLP were retrospectively collected. Immunotyping of infiltrated cells and expression of Ki-67, K16, involucrin, and filaggrin were stained by immunohistochemistry in skin lesions of these patients and normal skin of eight healthy controls. RESULTS: Dermal infiltrates contained primarily CD3+ and CD68+ cells in three groups. CD4+ cells were predominantly located in the perivascular area, while CD8+ cells were frequently close to the junctional zone. Compared with control skin, epidermal and dermal CD1a+ cells, and dermal CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD68+ cells were increased in LS and LLP (P < 0.05), while Ki-67+ cells were significantly high in LLP (P < 0.05) but not in LS. K16 and involucrin expression in LLP were more extensive than in LS, and filaggrin expression was similar between both entities. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the predominance of CD8+ cells and increased epidermal proliferation and abnormal keratinization are present in both dermatoses, although the levels of the above indexes are mild in LS as compared to LLP. These two entities might be due to the interaction of infiltrated cells and keratinocytes, and CD8+ cells could play a pivotal role in their pathogenesis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ecthyma gangrenosum in a woman with recurrent Graves' disease.

A 35-year-old woman with postoperative recurrent Graves' disease presented with a 5-day history of a red swelling on the right cheek associated with 4 days of remittent hyperpyrexia. Investigations revealed fever, a gangrenous ulcer on the right cheek, submandibular lymphadenopathy, and thyroid gland enlargement. Her white blood cell count, immunoglobulins, and lymphocyte subsets were unremarkable. Thyroid function tests showed low thyroid-stimulating hormone, high free thyroxine, and elevated radioactive iodine uptake. Repeated pus cultures grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but blood cultures were negative. An ill-demarcated erythematous plaque occurred on the right leg on hospital day 3. She was treated with intravenous antibiotics with topical gentamicin, recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor, and radioiodine therapy with anti-thyroid drugs. The ulcer healed leaving a depressed scar at 35 days after discharge. This patient may represent the first case of P. aeruginosa ecthyma gangrenosum and cellulitis in postoperative recurrent Graves' disease.